CNN's Brian Stelter Says There Will Almost Certainly Be Layoffs After Paramount Merger

We'd be worried if we were CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter. He was already let go once by CNN, and now he's reporting that there will almost certainly be layoffs and other cost-cutting measures once Paramount completes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN's parent company. As we reported on Monday, Mark Ruffalo, who believes Paramount is complicit in the Palestinian "genocide," was angry with California Gov. Gavin Newsom for clearing the way for the merger and handing President Trump and his billionaire cronies a big win. Most people are just upset that the Ellison family, which donated to Trump, is going to own CNN.

Stelter was sweating it out on Monday:

What a day:

We started the morning by reporting that CNN is suing the president over an unprecedented White House ban. Now we're reporting that CNN is about to have a new owner, Paramount, which is expected to combine CNN with CBS News down the road. https://t.co/inegsyvUIQ
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 22, 2026

We'd heard that one of the concessions demanded by California Attorney General Bob Bonta was the guarantee of "independent content monitoring" of CNN.

About that, Stelter writes:

Bonta said Paramount must establish “a news editorial independence board to support CBS News’ and CNN’s continued editorial independence” and “ensure independent, objective, fact-based reporting.”
Paramount will choose five board members, all of whom must be “established journalists,” active or retired, each with at least 10 years of experience.
According to paperwork filed with the court today, this panel will resolve disputes over “alleged reporting bias or failure to meet agreed reporting fairness standards” and monitor “editorial independence, including from… ownership and shareholders.”
Curiously, the paperwork says “no more than two” of the journalists may be “affiliated” with the same political party. That language is meant to ensure viewpoint diversity, I’m told, so that the board can’t be stacked with partisans. But the type of journalists who really belong on such a panel aren’t politically “affiliated” in the first place.

The state AG settlement with Paramount is proving to be controversial. Avowed merger opponent Jane Fonda invoked her late ex-husband Ted Turner, who founded CNN, and said "I'm glad Ted isn't here to witness the destruction of his unique and important creation.” pic.twitter.com/T5pmZLpAH0
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 22, 2026

Wow, Jane Fonda.

Jane Fonda was Ted Turner’s ex-wife. That’s her entire qualification here. If this is the depth of analysis Stelter brings, no wonder the White House treated CNN like a liability.
— Whynot Irony (@Whynot_Irony) September 22, 2026

Poor Ted Turner is rolling in his grave to see what CNN has turned into; pure garbage
— Psmithe (@schwabenba55499) September 22, 2026

There’s a lot of stuff about CNN she should be glad Ted isn’t here to see.
— Lori Damico (@DamicoLori62349) September 22, 2026

Jane’s glad Ted isn’t here to see CNN “destroyed.”

Ted sold it. Time Warner sold it. AT&T sold it. Discovery ran the ratings into the dirt.

But sure — the latest owner is the one who killed it. Classic Fonda: show up after the funeral and blame the pallbearers.
— Jorge 𝕏 Infante (@jxinfante69) September 22, 2026

I struggled after “Brian Stelter” and you lost me at “Jane Fonda.”
— Cirroc, Esq. (@DmanofUES) September 22, 2026

CNN's ratings really are that bad. Its highest-rated show, CNN NewsNight, comes in at No. 34 on the cable news rankings.

Placing bets now on whether Stelter survives the merger.

***

Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.

Help us continue to expose their left-wing bias by reading news you can trust. Join Twitchy VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.